


Pastels and Pretty Girls

by TalesInInkAndStars



Series: Pastels and... [1]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Bi five!, Bi!Eponine, Courf is the best host, Courf's famous 'gay' parties, F/F, First Meetings, Gay, Gay!Combeferre, Gay!Cosette, Gay!Enjolras, M/M, Pan!Courfeyrac, Pining, bi!Grantaire, everyone gets drunk, insect fact off!, so much gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 18:57:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7652971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalesInInkAndStars/pseuds/TalesInInkAndStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cosette goes to Courf's party, meets some cool people, falls for a hot girl and ends up in a battle of useless facts! And that's all before sunrise!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pastels and Pretty Girls

**Author's Note:**

> Cosette and Eponine are bae. They deserve each other, they deserve to be happy and I love them... and girls. Man, I love girls.
> 
> This is based from a party I went to where literally every girl in the room was a goddess sent down from above to dance in the same room in ambient lighting.

Cosette was not in the mood for a party. Usually she was the first one through the door, especially when one of her friends was hosting but her boss had given her all of the worst customers all day and she had a splitting headache. But it was Courfeyrac’s party and he would actually kill her if she didn’t turn up. So here she was, dressed in way too few clothes for an evening in February and clutching a carrier bag full of alcohol.

Combeferre and Courfeyrac lived in an out of the way apartment block tucked away behind a park green on the third floor. Cosette had been over many times in the past. When she’d first met them back in year nine Combeferre had struck her as one of most driven people she had ever met. He’d always understood every aspect of the courses and always got her homework done on time, making Cosette look like a slacker as a result. Courfeyrac had been every bit as smart as his boyfriend and was blessed with the gift of always knowing what Cosette needed whether it be a hug, a shot of vodka or a pint of ice cream. Between him and Combeferre Cosette had managed to make it through secondary school and even get into a decent university.

 

She climbed the stairs to the third floor and as she reached the landing she could make out the steady pounding beat of a dance track spilling out into the night air. There were strings of fairy lights hung over the bannister and around the front door, giving off a soft glow that made everything look fuzzy around the edges. A wooden sign had been hung on the door exclaiming ‘party straight ahead!’ in bright glittery letters. Cosette grinned and knocked, loudly. A few moments later the door opened and Courfeyrac looked out at her. His normally curly hair was in even more of a disarray than usual and he reached up and swept out of his face with swift fingers. 

“Ah! You’re here.” He said and held the door open wider for Cosette to step through past him. The music echoed louder in the tiny cloakroom just inside the door and as Cosette took off her coat she caught a glimpse at the people already there, dancing and swaying to the beat in the room just beyond. Cosette struggled as always to reach other coat hook and Courfeyrac took her jacket with a half grin. “Took your sweet time.” Cosette returned the smile and shrugged nonchalantly.

“Looking this good takes time my friend.” She said with a grin. Courfeyrac gestured to himself, clad in what seemed to be a moustache covered button up shirt and a signature bow tie, with a raised eyebrow.

“I managed to be on time.”

“It’s your party C,” Courfeyrac waved a hand dismissively, “and I had to do an extra shift today, my boss is a lazy ass who refuses to replace Sonya since she got caught having sex in the break room last month. Not to mention the foul mood he’s been in since it wasn’t him… where's Ferre?”

“He's around here somewhere, kitchen I think. It sounds like you could do with a drink.” Courfeyrac said wryly. Cosette groaned in anticipation.

“Fuck yes please!” Courfeyrac swept a dramatic bow and point of to the living room with one arm.

Half an hour later and already pleasantly buzzed, Courfeyrac decided he had to get back to welcoming guests and left Cosette with a wave.

“I’ll find you.” Cosette saluted him and, picking up another glass bottle of a sweet tasting concoction she didn’t know the name of, followed the low thumping beat into the living room across the hall. More fairy lights were strung around the perimeter of the room, casting the same golden glow down onto the room’s occupants, making their gyrating silhouettes look hypnotising and ethereal. A tall girl with hair so red it looked like fire spun past her, leaving a trail of glitter in her wake and Cosette watched her go with a quiet sense of awe. 

The music shifted and a low beat started up, the melody low and sultry. The singer’s voice drifting through her ears: “Kiss me with adventure, Til I forget my name, Chills run down my back, I'mma flirt with that, Get a little closer.” She was drawn into the dancing crowd, her hands reaching for the ceiling as she closed her eyes and followed the hypnotic melody with her hips. Someone bumped into her from behind, a solid weight pressing up against her and Cosette opened her eyes to see the murmured apology leave the man's lips. He was tall, easily dwarfing her as he reached out to steady her. 

“Hello gorgeous,” he said, a slow smile spreading over his face, “fancy a dance?” Cosette shook her head politely eyes already scanning for an opening off the dance floor. She really needed another drink and she was starting to feel a little dizzy from the close proximity of the other dancers. 

“No thanks I was just about to get another drink.” She made to walk past him and the guy snagged her wrist, turning her back towards him. “Can I help you?” Cosette said, an edge of steel beginning to creep in her voice. She did not like being grabbed. 

“Don't be like that I just want a dance.” Cosette twisted her hand in his grip until he was forced to let go. “I’m not letting you go until you’ve agreed to-”

“And I respectfully said no, so you either piss off and take no for no or I’ll-” 

Someone tapped her on the shoulder and a bottle of cider was presented to her. Cosette turned to see a tall dark haired man with a mass of dark curls and bright green eyes that smouldered thanks to the intricately applied eye liner. Beside him a shorter man that could only be described as a regular angelic pretty boy with blond hair and intense blue eyes looked at the guy like he was the dirt beneath his shoe. Cosette looked down at the refilled cup in her hand. She liked these guys already.

“Hey hun, the kitchen is so crowded but I got your drink!” He looked up at the man, his smile remaining fixed but his eyes were hard and threatening. “Who's your friend?” The man stuttered out an ‘I was just leaving’ and melted back into the writhing bodies on the dancefloor. Cosette took a long swig of the drink before turning to her saviours.

“Thanks for that.” She said. “The dick wasn’t taking no for an answer.” The tall guy smiled at her easily. 

“No worries, you looked very uncomfortable. That and I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t you would have thrown him through a window or something, as amazing as that would be to witness I feel that Courfeyrac would not have appreciated it. I’m Grantaire and this is Enjolras.” Enjolras waved Cosette smiled at them both. 

“Cosette,” she said with a smile, “actually I think he’d be kinda proud,” she mused, taking another sip, “how do you know the party animal?” she asked, she couldn’t remember ever seeing the two around before and she would have remembered; they were hard to miss, especially standing side by side.

“Combeferre and I both do martial arts so we spar a lot.” Grantaire said. “Sparring partners automatically become best friends, you learn a lot about someone when you toss them on the mat every day.” He flashed Cosette a blindingly white smile which she couldn’t help but return in full.

“And Courfeyrac and I have been in the same class for a few years.” Enjolras said with a smile. “We’ve been friends for years.”

“Friends!” Courfeyrac slung an arm around Cosette’s shoulder and grinned at them with his usual slightly over the top cheer. “You’ve met each other! R this is the girl I was telling you about; the creative arts major? She's insanely good.” Cosette scoffed at the nick name and looked away awkwardly at the compliment. “Cos this is Grantaire, he’s an art major a year older than us. He’s done some amazing stuff.” R grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head with one hand. 

“So a martial artist and a painter huh?” Cosette teased. “The girls must love you.” She thought she saw Enjolras’ expression drop but Grantaire only laughed.

“The ladies go crazy for a hipster artist,” he quipped, “the boys don't mind it either so I’ve been told.” He threw a wink at Enjolras who sputtered and blushed bright red. 

“Speaking of girls!” Courfeyrac said excitedly and Cosette knew exactly what was coming of course. That's why there were so many of Courf’s female friends there.

“Courf no.”

“There are so really gorgeous girls here tonight huh?” Cosette took another swig, turning so she was looking at her friend out of the corner of her eye. 

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” 

“Cosette!” Courf whined. 

“Courf!” Cosette replied in the same tone. Enjolras and Grantaire hid their laughter behind their bottles. 

Another low sultry song started playing through the apartment and Cosette looked out onto the dance floor. A girl with skin the colour of caramel danced with a petite blonde with angel like ringlets. The pastel lights flickered off her hair and gave the whole situation a soft glow. All around them gorgeous men and women laughed and danced and kissed. The girl with giggled as the blonde dipped her and Cosette sighed dramatically. 

“Courfeyrac you have managed to throw the ‘gayest’ party in existence.” Courfeyrac mimed wiping away a tear. 

“I know. Isn’t it beautiful?” 

“How does a party look gay?” Enjolras wondered. Grantaire slung an arm over his shoulder and gestured to the room with the hand still cradling his beer. 

“Observe, my dear Apollo, the soft pastel lighting in the exact shades of the pan flag unless I am mistaken. The playlist, hark the sounds of Hayley Kiyoko’s summer track literally entitled ‘girls like girls.’ That and the amount of glitter strewn about the place means all the bright neon signs point to gay.” 

“R you really get me. Bless you my bitter bi friend. Thank you.” Grantaire swept a low bow and gave a broad grin. 

“Apollo?” Cosette asked, one eyebrow raised. Grantaire flashed her another smile and gestured to himself. 

“An art major with a deep and slightly worrying obsession with Greek mythology. Apollo - god of the sun, single men and poetry.” He said and pointed at Enjolras. Enjolras rolled his eyes.

“I’m on a debate team and I run an activist group it’s hardly poetry.” He grumbled, but there was a smile on his face. 

“I like that that was the part you though to deny.” R quipped. He paused to down the rest of his bottle, an amount too large to actually down at once but somehow he managed it. Courfeyrac cheered loudly. Enjolras stared at R with a strange mixture of worry and admiration. Cosette, not to be out done, took a breath and downed her own drink. It fizzled up her nose and she tried her best not to sneeze. Grantaire smiled approvingly. “Now let's party.” 

 

***********

Ten songs and four bottles later Cosette was fighting a cramp and attempting to hold her own in a dance off between herself Courfeyrac and Grantaire, the latter of which Cosette was almost certain took professional dancing lessons. The alcohol she’d steadily been consuming over the course of the evening was buzzing in her veins and Cosette felt simultaneously invincible and very fragile. 

Combeferre had reappeared from the kitchen and he and Enjolras were talking by the side of the dancefloor. Cosette was almost certain that Enjolras kept sending glances towards Grantaire who had taken off his dark jacket and was only clad in the grey tank top he wore underneath. Grantaire had some wicked tattoos and Enjolras had certainly noticed. Cosette fumbled her shuffle on purpose so she could stop for a moment. As she turned to congratulate Grantaire and Courfeyrac, still engaged in a rather impressive looking birdie dance to Shura’s ‘what’s it gonna be?’ a willowy girl with long dark dreads in some seriously high waisted jeans caught her eye. The mystery girl was rolling her hips to the beat of the music. Her shirt showed off the smooth surface of her stomach as she danced and Cosette watched, mesmerised as her hands slid up her body and into the air. Cosette forgot how to speak for a moment. Her face flushed bright red she could tell and her mouth went dry. She was the most beautiful girl Cosette had ever seen. 

“Eponine!” Cosette jumped as Combeferre appeared by her side and the mystery girl looked up with a wave and started to walk over. 

“Oh god oh god oh god.” Cosette was not ready for this. Her palms were sweating, her hair was all over the place, the pinkie finger on her right hand’’s nail polish was chipped in one corner. She was a drunken mess and this girl, this goddess was heading straight for her with a wicked grin on her lips.

“You ok there Sette?” Combeferre’s voice was low and teasing in her ear. Cosette almost yelped. 

“What? I’m fine,” she squeaked, her voice climbing a whole octave ,”uh who is that?” 

“Éponine's an old friend of R and I’s.” He responded, a knowing smile still directed at Cosette. “She used to do karate with us and we babysat her little brother Gavroche a few times too.” 

Éponine stopped just in front of Grantaire who threw his arms around her with enthusiasm.

“Artemis! Looking as beautiful and dangerous as ever.” 

“Hey R.” Jesus christ eve her voice was beautiful - all gravely and smooth like silk. Cosette fought a shiver and averted her eyes in embarrassment. “How’s the project coming? Any luck with that asshole of a lecturer of yours?” Grantaire’s expression darkened and he bitterly took a swig of beer before glaring off somewhere into the distance.

“No. He hated everything I gave in last time. I have until next month to redo it all. I’m lacking a decent muse though.” A side glance to Enjolras who either didn’t catch it or was steadfast ignoring it. “Any chance you’ll pose for me Ep? I’ll make it worth your time.” Éponine rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“You can’t fool me with your artist charms Grantaire.” She teased. “Get me a cute fellow model and I may change my mind.” She threw a wink at Combeferre who lent in to give his own hug in greeting. As she lent back she noticed Cosette and Cosette felt like she was melting into the floor. “Hey, who’re you?” Courfeyrac snapped back into host mode with impressive speed.

“Oh shit sorry. Ep this is Cosette. Cosette this is Eponine.” Cosette did her best to smile sweetly and wiped her palms on the back of her skirt. 

“Cosette really held her own in the dance off earlier.” Grantaire quipped with a grin. Cosette shrugged nonchalantly. 

“It'd be pretty embarrassing as a performing arts major if I couldn’t do an efficient birdie dance don’t you think?” She said. Éponine looked at her a moment, head tilted as she looked Cosette up and down. Cosette tried not to squirm under the scrutiny. She raised an eyebrow. “You ok there?” She asked.

“Did you go to Mount Starboard?” She asked. 

“Uh yeah I did. Good guess.” Éponine nodded quickly. 

“I went to see the last school play.” She said. “I mean I was in the area since my class got moved down there cause our instructor fell down a flight of stairs, anyway,” her hands were flying around her as she spoke and Cosette noticed her fingers were long and elegant and that Éponine bit her nails “,I had some time to kill after I was done and I wondered into this hall and there was a play on. It was uh.. Chicago right? You played Roxie. You were fantastic!” Cosette flushed. A lot of her Roxie costumes had been very revealing. 

“Yeah that was our last night, we’d been practising for so long so everyone was a bit tired but yeah....” 

“That costume was something else.” Éponine teased. Cosette blushed.

“That costume was not my idea.” She retorted. Silence descended for a moment and Cosette wasn’t sure how to break it. Courfeyrac disappeared to wrestle a very expensive vase out of some guy’s hands. Enjolras and Grantaire were arguing over whether Chicago was an accurate representation of the justice system or not and Combeferre was dancing in place beside Eponine. Cosette looked down at her hand, praised god for small miracles and raised her empty bottle for all to see. “I’m going to get a refill I’ll be right back.” She didn’t give anyone the chance to respond before diving towards the kitchen. 

*********

After a stern talking to in the kitchen Cosette grabbed another drink downed half of it in one go and walked back into the living room as a hard beat started up over the speakers. Grantaire and Enjolras had stopped arguing and started dancing. Not together but Cosette figured it was a start. With the way they had been looking at each other over the course of the evening it was only a matter of time. Éponine was dancing with a tall willowy guy with red hair braided over one shoulder. 

“Cosette!” Courfeyrac slung an arm around her shoulders. “Dance with me!” Cosette squealed as Courfeyrac spun her around and the two of them joined the fray of dancers. 

Cosette had always been a self conscious dancer with not much experience. She didn’t know how to dance like she saw other girls dance in clubs - like she’d seen Éponine dancing when she’d first caught Cosette’s eye. Courfeyrac had a hold of her arms and was guiding her movements, his laughter making her lose most of her awkwardness. She closed her eyes and tried her best to lose herself to the movements. The heavy bass melted into a softer track and a hand touched her shoulder. She felt Courf let her go and another pair of hands took their place. Cosette opened her eyes to find Éponine stood in front of her panting heavily, a wide grin on her face. Cosette smiled back albeit shyly and the two of them started up a rhythm of swaying to the music, hands lightly clasped, exchanging soft smiles. Granatire appeared behind Éponine utterly wasted and grinning like a loon. He grabbed Éponine by the waist, maneuvering her to move with him as he ground his hips. Cosette had to stop moving altogether to laugh at the expression on R’s face and the look of confusion and amusement on Éponine's as he started singing along to the pop-y track encouraging people to ‘come a little closer.’ Enjolras and Courfeyrac laughed loudly behind them and Courfeyrac eventually joined in, guiding Cosette to the beat as all four of them jumped and swayed and mouthed the words in between gulps of bottles. As Cosette drank more and danced more her inexperience and awkwardnes melted away. She hauled Éponine in by the belt loops of her jeans, still laughing and singing along and the two of them danced together: hips rolling and hands grasped in each other’s shirts. 

 

*********  
As the back door closed behind them the music cut off abruptly and Cosette shivered, it was a little after two and the sky was awash with glittering stars that glinted above them.  
“There’s more alcohol in the store room.” Combeferre explained as they made their way towards the door on the far side of the garden. Enjolras had his arm looped through hers and he slumped his head onto Cosette’s shoulder. 

“I’m fucked.” He said simply, dreamily even. Cosette snorted. Ahead of them Grantaire and Éponine were in a similar position as they all walked away from the house. Grantaire had yet to put his shirt back on and the way he was animatedly talking to Éponine - his arms flying everywhere- his muscles were flexing. Even Cosette had to admit; the man was gorgeous. 

“I know my dear Enj,” she patted his head “,you just gotta tell him how you feel.” Enjolras snorted and raised his arms dramatically in a very Courfeyrac sort of way. 

“But he’s infuriating! And he’said so sloppy! Like his hair's a mess and his fingers are covered in paint and his tattoos are so so… hot. He’s so infuriatingly gorgeous like what the fuck!” He let his head drop back onto Cosette’s shoulder with a resigned huff. Cosette looked at Éponine as she flicked R’s forehead with a grin, biting her lip as her crop top rise when she threw her arms out to the sides wildly.

“Surely it’s illegal for someone to be that intensely beautiful? I mean look at her! She’s a goddess. She’s effortless and christ that girl’s hips are sinful.” Enjolras giggled and reached up to pat her head. He was just as drunk as her however so the pat mostly hit her opposite shoulder. 

The storeroom door rattled closed behind them and Cosette whistled. There was indeed a lot more booze. 

“Jesus guys, were you planning to give everyone present liver poisoning?” Combeferre shrugged and stretched up to retrieve a crate of vodka from a top shelf. The ginger with the plait and the delicate features whom Cosette had learned was named Jehan pulled a crate into the middle of the garage and gracefully folded himself a into cross legged position. Courfeyrac dropped down beside him and started pouring vodka into a collection of shot glasses. “Oh hell yes.” Cosette sat down on Jehan’s other side, pulling Enjolras down beside her. Grantaire, Éponine and Combeferre filled the remaining space. 

They ended up playing a game where teams would take it in turn to list off utterly useless facts.The first person to run out of facts has to drink as does their team. Cosette had already lost in her round about literature against Jehan but she’d smashed Enjolras in the musical round. 

“Bugs.” Jehan said. Courfeyrac punched the air and Éponine groaned. Combeferre grinned evilly and rubbed his hands together. 

“Oh I’ve got this prepare to drink my friends.” Grantaire already looked defeated but Enjolras clapped him on the back. 

“You got this R. I believe in you.” He said seriously. Grantaire swallowed and cracked his knuckles like he was preparing to run a marathon. 

“Night butterflies have ears on their wings so they can avoid bats.” Combeferre nodded. Impressed. 

“I see your butterfly fact, my friend, and I raise you honey bees. The honeybee has to travel an average of 43,000 miles to collect enough nectar to make a pound of honey.”

“A slug has four noses.”

“The female black widow’s poison is 15 times deadlier than a rattlesnake’s!”

“A snail can sleep for 3 years straight!” It was like watching a tennis match. Both Courfeyrac and Enjolras looked practically enraptured by their respective objects of affection. Éponine made eye contact across the crate and stuck her tongue out at her with a wink. 

“The heaviest insect in the world weighs 2.5 ounces!”

“Well the… the ..Uh… shit. Damn it R you win.” Combeferre gulped down his drink. Cosette and Courfeyrac followed suit. Grantaire punched the sky and turned to Éponine. “Ep! Bi five!” Éponine grinned and high fived him. As the next round started up: Enjolras versus Courfeyrac on the subject of the ancient Greeks - much to Grantaire’s indignance - Éponine tapped her on the shoulder. 

“I’m going for a cigarette you wanna come with?” Cosette swallowed hard and nodded mutely. Enjolras caught her eye as she followed Éponine to the door. 

“Good luck.” He mouthed with a wink before turning his attention back to the fact battle just as Grantaire started yelling out facts before either he or Combeferre could say anything. 

The door shut behind them and Cosette’s heart was in her throat as they walked away from the storeroom and lent over the railing. The sky was clear and bright and Cosette looked at it rather than the girl beside her until she was certain she could control her nerves. 

 

She’d had her first kiss on the third floor landing outside the apartment. The gorgeous red head law student that lived across the hall pressing her up against the wall and kissing her senseless until Courf’s apartment door swung open and Cosette was reluctantly dragged inside to study for a math final that neither of them had ended up passing. Cosette really wanted to kiss Eponine. God she wanted to kiss her so badly. The moonlight illuminated her skin making her glow and the cigarette smoke curled delicately around her head. Éponine was capable and smart and sarcastic and every type of exquisite. Cosette could picture running her hands through her dreads and feeling the soft skin of her neck as she cupped the brunette’s strong jaw and kissed those dark painted lips… 

And then Éponine kissed her. 

 

She pushed Cosette up against that same wall, crowding in close to lick her way into Cosette’s mouth in a way that left her breathless. Cosette struggled to regain her senses and her hands drifted to lightly grip the brunette’s hips through those ridiculously low riding jeans. She could feel Éponine's hip bones and gently traced them through the fabric until Éponine shivered and broke the kiss to nip at Cosette’s ear.

“God you’re so beautiful.” She whispered against Cosette’s feverish skin. “Is this ok? I know I didn’t ask and that was such a dick move. I’ve known Enjolras for like three hours and he literally told me to always ask for permison and I-" Cosette laughed but it came out breathy when Éponine's tongue reached her collarbone.

“Ep? It’s fine, really. And you’re not so bad yourself." Eponine grinned and renewed her attack on Cosette's lips, taking her breath away wuth each and every one. "If I were to date you I’d- oh god… would you stop that I’m trying to be witty!” Éponine looked up at her with a half smirk, her eyes practically twinkling in the glow of the fairy lights strung up all around them.

“Oh yeah?” She leant back and Cosette immediately felt the loss of her body against hers. “Go on then.” Cosette craned her head to look Éponine in the eyes and gave her an innocent smile.

“If I were to date you I would have to wear gloves. Otherwise you'd be too hot to handle.” Éponine bit her lip and for a moment Cosette felt the rushing tidal wave of embarrassment. Then Éponine tapped her nose lightly with one finger.

“Maybe we should go our separate ways then.” She teased. Cosette shook her head like Éponine had missed a point.

“No worries I’m not afraid to burn.” Cosette said, and then immediately screwed up her face because that was a bit serious for a first meeting. Éponine buried her head in Cosette’s shoulder and hugged her tightly.

“You are adorable. It’s ridiculous, no one can be this adorable.” She said, almost groaning out the word. Cosette shrugged one shoulder. 

“I aim to please.” She tugged the taller girls face back to hers and planted a soft kiss to her cheek before pressing their lips together once more. 

Eventually Cosette stopped kissing her long enough for Éponine to finish her cigarette. Éponine had one arm snuggly fit around Cosette’s waist, her chin resting on the top of Cosette’s head as tendrils of smoke drifted over their heads and out across the skyline. 

“The sun's going to rise soon.” She murmured softly. Éponine hummed in agreement and pulled her closer, dropping a kiss on the side of her neck that made Cosette shiver. She looked down at where she held Éponine's long fingers in her hands and pressed little kisses to those slightly calloused fingertips. 

“Should we get back to the others?” Éponine whispered. Cosette nodded and she snubbed out her cigarette and they walked back to the store room hand in hand.


End file.
